Debris receptacle for a tool having a cutter

ABSTRACT

A debris receptacle for a tool having a cutter. The debris receptacle includes a debris plate attachable to the tool and a debris cover overlying the debris plate and spaced from the debris plate to form a debris reception zone between the debris plate and the debris cover. The debris plate further includes a plate hole with the cutter extending through the plate hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool. The debris cover includes a cover hole with the cutter extending through the cover hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, this invention relates to a debris receptacle for use with a cutter tool, for example, to assist in the reception or capture of cut material particles when using the cutter tool to cut the material, e.g., making a hole or other cut therein. When using cutting tools, as the cutter cuts through the material it produces material particles that are a result of the cutting action. At present, the cut away material particles shoot out from the cutter in all directions and cause a mess, as well as create a possible hazard to the tool user since these particles can be hot and/or are projected away from the cut location at high speeds. Consequently, a mechanism is needed which will help retain the cut away material particles while not impeding the cutting action of the tool and its cutter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to avoiding one or more of the just discussed shortcomings. More particularly, the invention concerns a debris receptacle for a tool having a cutter. The debris receptacle includes a debris plate attachable to the tool. The debris plate includes an outside surface, an inside surface, a plate outer perimeter located between the outside and the inside surfaces, and a plate hole located inside the plate outer perimeter and extending through the debris plate from the outside surface to the inside surface. The cutter extends through the plate hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool. A debris cover is attachable to the debris plate. The debris cover includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a cover outer perimeter located between the top and the bottom surfaces, and a cover hole located inside the cover outer perimeter and extending through the debris cover from the top surface to the bottom surface. The cutter extends through the cover hole when the debris cover is attached to the debris plate and the debris plate is attached to the tool. The bottom surface of the debris cover faces the inside surface of the debris plate and the bottom surface of the debris cover is spaced from the inside surface of the debris plate and forms a debris reception zone between the debris cover and the debris plate.

The invention also concerns a debris receptacle for a tool having a cutter. The debris receptacle includes a debris plate attachable to the tool and including a debris cover overlying the debris plate and spaced from the debris plate to form a debris reception zone between the debris plate and the debris cover. The debris plate further includes an outer perimeter and a plate hole located inside the outer perimeter and extending through the debris plate from an outside surface to an inside surface, and with the cutter extending through the plate hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool. The debris cover includes a cover hole located inside the outer perimeter and extending through the debris cover from a top surface to a bottom surface, and with the cutter extending through the cover hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool.

Still further, the invention concerns various optional configurations and relationships for the debris plate and the debris cover, and optional features thereof. These and other features and functions of the present invention will be explained and understood upon reviewing the following detailed description and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a debris plate of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top and bottom view of the plate seen in FIG. 1, as both of these views are identical from this perspective.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the debris cover of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the cover seen in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the cover seen in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is another side view of the cover seen in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view the cover seen in FIG. 3, taken along the line A-A of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of portion B of the cover seen in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a first side of a tool and a cutter that are in the prior art.

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of that seen in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the tool and cutter, now with a debris plate attached to the tool.

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of that seen in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of that seen in FIG. 11, now with a debris cover attached to the debris plate and thereby forming a debris receptacle.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of the debris receptacle of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternate debris receptacle of the invention, with the debris plate and debris cover integrally formed together.

It should be noted that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the sizes of the components shown and their features could be varied as desired (some exemplary dimensions given but in no way limiting the invention, unless set forth in the claims), as long as otherwise consistent with the teachings herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures, and particularly FIGS. 13, 17 and 18, for example, there is seen a debris receptacle 20 for a tool 10 having a cutter 12. Tool 10 may be a prior art tool as seen in FIGS. 9-10 for cutting holes in a material, or other tools that would produce material particles as part of cutting action. The debris receptacle includes a debris plate 30 and a debris cover 50. Plate 30 is attachable to the tool 10 and can include the debris cover 50, integral therewith or attachable to plate 30, overlying the debris plate and spaced from the debris plate to form a debris reception zone 70 between the debris plate and the debris cover. The plate 30 may be removeably or permanently (i.e., even formed integral therewith) attached to tool 10. For a removable relationship, e.g., screws may be used with attachment hole(s) 14, or any other conventional attachment mechanism.

In use, debris receptacle 20 is attached to tool 10 and the tool and cutter are pressed against a material to be cut. As the material is cut, material particles are cut away and leave the cutter in all directions. For particles leaving the material on the same side as the tool is located, the debris receptacle will capture those particles in debris reception zone 70. When cutting is done, the tool and debris receptacle can be turned over with the cover facing a garbage can and gravity will cause the cut away particles to fall out of the debris reception zone and into the garbage can.

Also with reference to FIGS. 1-2, and 11-12, there are seen more details of the plate 30. The debris plate further includes an outer perimeter 32 and a plate hole 34 located inside the outer perimeter and extending through the debris plate from an outside surface 38 to an inside surface 40. When the debris plate is attached to the tool, the cutter extends through plate hole 34.

Now, also with reference to FIGS. 3-8, and 13, there are seen more details of the debris cover 50. Cover 50 includes a cover hole 54 located inside the outer perimeter 32 and extending through the debris cover from a top surface 58 to a bottom surface 60. When the debris plate 30 is attached to the tool, the cutter extends through the cover hole 54 at least when the tool is cutting. It may be that the cover 50 could be flexible enough and with a memory characteristic such that when the tool with the attached debris receptacle is not engaged in cutting, i.e., not pushed against a material surface for cutting, then the cutter 12 does not extend through cover hole 54 but it will a soon as pressure is applied to the tool and cutting commences.

The invention may also include a variety of other features. For example, and referring to the Figures as well, debris plate 30 and debris cover 50 can be integrally formed together, e.g., molded together of one or more material substances, formed and/or molded out of the different or the same material substance. Alternatively, debris cover 50 may be removeably or permanently attachable to debris plate 30. In this configuration, the debris cover may include a cover outer perimeter 52 located between the top and the bottom surfaces 58, 60 respectively. When attached together, the bottom surface 60 of the debris cover would face the inside surface 40 of the debris plate and the bottom surface 60 of the debris cover would be spaced from the inside surface 40 of the debris plate and form the debris reception zone 70 between the debris cover 50 and the debris plate 30. A variety of attachment mechanisms could be used to attach cover 50 to plate 30, e.g., a screw-like relationship, a magnetic relationship, an adhesive relationship, or a snap-fitted relationship. When a snap-fitted relationship is employed, cover outer perimeter 52 may be slightly larger than plate outer perimeter 30 and thereby the two removeably fit together, e.g., with an annular ring on cover 50 and the configuration seen in FIG. 8.

Other features the invention may include, e.g., and best seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, are where the debris cover 50 and the debris plate 30 together form a height 22 and have a diameter 24 such that the ratio of the height to the diameter is between about 0.05 and about 0.75, preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.5, and more preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.25.

Still other features the invention may include concern at least one of the debris cover and the debris plate having a sloped side 42, 62 relative to a horizontal plane 26 extending parallel to the outer perimeter 32, 52 and located relatively between the debris cover 50 and the debris plate 50. Further in this regard, the sloped side 42, 62 may slope away from the horizontal plane 26 thereby causing the respective debris cover and/or debris plate with the sloped side to have a concave configuration 44, 64 of the plate/cover interior.

Yet other features the invention may include concern the cover hole 54 being positioned overlying the plate hole 34 and the cover hole having a diameter length 56 that is larger than a diameter length 36 of the plate hole. Further in this regard, optionally the cover hole diameter length 56 is at most about 90% of a diameter length 24 of the cover outer perimeter, preferably at most about 70% of the diameter length 24 of the cover outer perimeter, and more preferably at most about 50% of the diameter length 24 of the cover outer perimeter.

The debris receptacle may be made of various materials. Such materials advantageously have a sufficient rigid characteristic to be able to maintain their shape when simply attached to the tool 10 and not in use, to when under pressure during cutting with the tool so the receptacle still forms the debris reception zone 70. The plate and the cover may have the same rigidity characteristics, and advantageously the plate is more rigid than the cover so the cover can flex when is use against the material beingcut to help keep a good seal for capturing the most cut away material particles. For example, these may be metals, plastics and substitutes therefor as would be known to those of skill in the art, and such things as steel, galvanized steel and molded plastics may be employed for one or more of the plate 30 and cover 50. The receptacle components may be formed by conventional techniques such as cutting, grinding, molding, forging or other forming means. Although certain proportional relationships may be more advantageous than others, the plate and cover and their various features may be made to various sizes as long as the relative relationships, as discussed above, are maintained as desired. Further in regards to what materials may be used to make the debris receptacle, debris receptacle 20 may have a magnetic characteristic such that the debris receptacle at least temporarily attracts and retains debris cut by the cutter. As such, for example, at least one of the debris plate 30 and the debris cover 50 may include a magnetic portion, which may be the entire part 30 and/or 50 or select portions thereof. As another example, the debris may, advantageously, be retained in the debris reception zone. In any regard, it can be advantageous to have a means for removing the debris from the debris receptacle once cutting is complete. For example, this could be means for selectively magnetizing the debris receptacle, or a cover of non-magnetic material (e.g., thin plastic cover) that could be removed (e.g., peeled or pulled) from the debris receptacle to remove the debris and “clean” the receptacle.

Sample dimensions for components and their features can be seen in the provisional application drawings for this non-provisional application, which provisional application is fully incorporated herein by reference. Otherwise, generally, the size for which the receptacle is intended and the desired attributes of the receptacle, will dictate the overall size of the components and their features, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art in combination with the teachings herein.

While the invention has been described in connection with various features and advantages, such is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but, on the contrary, the invention is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be defined by the scope of the following claims. 

1. A debris receptacle for a tool having a cutter, the debris receptacle comprising: a debris plate attachable to the tool, the debris plate comprising an outside surface, an inside surface, a plate outer perimeter located between the outside and the inside surfaces, and a plate hole located inside the plate outer perimeter and extending through the debris plate from the outside surface to the inside surface, and with the cutter extending through the plate hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool; and, a debris cover attachable to the debris plate, the debris cover comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, a cover outer perimeter located between the top and the bottom surfaces, and a cover hole located inside the cover outer perimeter and extending through the debris cover from the top surface to the bottom surface, with the cutter extending through the cover hole when the debris cover is attached to the debris plate and the debris plate is attached to the tool, and where the bottom surface of the debris cover faces the inside surface of the debris plate and the bottom surface of the debris cover is spaced from the inside surface of the debris plate and forms a debris reception zone between the debris cover and the debris plate.
 2. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the cover outer perimeter is larger than the plate outer perimeter.
 3. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the debris cover is removeably attachable to the debris plate by a snap-fitted relationship.
 4. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein when the debris cover is removeably attached to the debris plate they together form a height and have a diameter such that the ratio of the height to the diameter is between about 0.05 and about 0.75.
 5. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein when the debris cover is removeably attached to the debris plate they together form a height and have a diameter such that the ratio of the height to the diameter is between about 0.1 and about 0.5.
 6. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein when the debris cover is removeably attached to the debris plate they together form a height and have a diameter such that the ratio of the height to the diameter is between about 0.1 and about 0.25.
 7. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein at least one of the debris cover and the debris plate has a sloped side relative to a horizontal plane extending parallel to the outer perimeter and located relatively between the debris cover and the debris plate.
 8. The debris receptacle of claim 7 wherein the sloped side slopes away from the horizontal plane thereby causing the respective debris cover and/or debris plate with the sloped side to have a concave configuration of its interior.
 9. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the cover hole is positioned overlying the plate hole and the cover hole has a diameter length that is larger than a diameter length of the plate hole.
 10. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the cover hole is positioned overlying the plate hole and the cover hole has a diameter length that is larger than a diameter length of the plate hole and the cover hole diameter length is at most about 90% of a diameter length of the cover outer perimeter.
 11. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the cover hole is positioned overlying the plate hole and the cover hole has a diameter length that is larger than a diameter length of the plate hole and the cover hole diameter length is at most about 70% of a diameter length of the cover outer perimeter.
 12. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the cover hole is positioned overlying the plate hole and the cover hole has a diameter length that is larger than a diameter length of the plate hole and the cover hole diameter length is at most about 50% of a diameter length of the cover outer perimeter.
 13. The debris receptacle of claim 2 wherein the debris receptacle has a magnetic characteristic such that the debris receptacle at least temporarily attracts and retains debris cut by the cutter.
 14. The debris receptacle of claim 13 wherein at least one of the debris plate and the debris cover includes a magnetic portion.
 15. The debris receptacle of claim 13 wherein the debris is retained in the debris reception zone.
 16. A debris receptacle for a tool having a cutter, the debris receptacle comprising: a debris plate attachable to the tool and comprising a debris cover overlying the debris plate and spaced from the debris plate to form a debris reception zone between the debris plate and the debris cover; the debris plate further comprising an outer perimeter and a plate hole located inside the outer perimeter and extending through the debris plate from an outside surface to an inside surface, and with the cutter extending through the plate hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool; and, wherein the debris cover comprises a cover hole located inside the outer perimeter and extending through the debris cover from a top surface to a bottom surface, and with the cutter extending through the cover hole when the debris plate is attached to the tool.
 17. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the debris plate and the debris cover are integrally formed together.
 18. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the debris cover and the debris plate are formed out of the same material substance.
 19. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the debris cover and the debris plate together form a height and have a diameter such that the ratio of the height to the diameter is between about 0.05 and about 0.75, preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.5, and more preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.25.
 20. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein at least one of the debris cover and the debris plate has a sloped side relative to a horizontal plane extending parallel to the outer perimeter and located relatively between the debris cover and the debris plate.
 21. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the sloped side slopes away from the horizontal plane thereby causing the respective debris cover and/or debris plate with the sloped side to have a concave configuration of its interior.
 22. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the cover hole is positioned overlying the plate hole and the cover hole has a diameter length that is larger than a diameter length of the plate hole.
 23. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the cover hole is positioned overlying the plate hole and the cover hole has a diameter length that is larger than a diameter length of the plate hole and the cover hole diameter length is at most about 50% to about 90% of a diameter length of the cover outer perimeter.
 24. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein at least one of the debris plate and the debris cover includes a magnetic portion.
 25. The debris receptacle of claim 16 wherein the debris receptacle has a magnetic characteristic such that the debris receptacle at least temporarily attracts and retains debris cut by the cutter in the debris reception zone. 